Elastic-fluid turbine rotor and method of avoiding tangential bucket vibration therein



July 29, 1924.

. 1,502,904 WV.CAMPBELL ELASTIC FLUID TURBINE ROTBR AND METHOD OF AVOIDING TANGENTIAL.

. BUCKET VIBRATION THEREIN Filed June 22, 1923 6 Sheets-Sheet l Y Jul 29,1924.

W. CAMPBELL ELASTIC FLUID TURBINE ROTOR' AND METHOD OF AVOIDING TANGENTIAL BUCKET VIBRATION THEREIN Filed .June 22, 1923 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 I l l l l l [n ven Zor' DWI/free! Campbell,

' HiaAZTorngy July 29, 1924. 1,502.904'

W. CAMPBELL ELASTIC FLUID TURBINE ROTOR AND METHOD OF- AVOIDING TANGENTIAL BUCKET VIBRATION THEREIN Filed June 22, 1923 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 lnveni r ywlgz July 29, 1924. R 1,502,904 W. CAMPBELL ELASTIC FLUID TURBINE ROTOR AND METHOD OF AVOIDING TANGENTIAL BUCKET VIBRATION THEREI N Filed June 22, 1923 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 I70 Fig.1 I.

SSE $3 66% 3 x wgwkk Z 4 6 8 l0 l2 l4 /6 l620222426285032.74363640 SPEED //V REVOLUT/O/VS PEI? SECOND 000 00000000. wmum i Z 4 6 8/0 /2 /4/6 I8202224Z628303Z34363840 SPEED IN REVOLUTIONS PEI? SECOND Inventor '2 L. i 3% m m @Mu %.M W H W.

July 29, 24- 1,502,904

W. CAMPBELL ELASTIC FLUID TURBINE ROTOR AND METHOD OF AVOIDING TANGENTIAL BUCKET VIBRATION THERELN Filed June 22, 1923 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 v Inventom Willfiwd @am abefl His Attorney,

July 29, 1924. v 1,502,904

W. CAMPBELL ELASTIC FLUID TURBINE ROTOR AND METHOD OF AVOIDING TANGENTIAL BUCKET VIBRATION THEREIN.

Filed June 22, 1923 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 fnvenlfor':

Wi/fred Campbe/l His AZ'ZT rngy a subject of the British Empire, residing;

Patented July 29,

, UNITED STATES.

PATENT orrlcs.

CAMPBELL, OF SGEENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSTGNOR- TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF YORK.

ELASTIC-FLUID TURBINE B OTOB AND METHOD OF AVOIDING TANGENTIAL-BUCKET VIBRATION THEREIN.

Application filed June 22, 1923. Serial 'No. 647,193.

To all may concern: j

Be it known that L'wnirnnn CAMPBELL,

at Schenectady, countyv of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elastic- Fluid Turbine Rotors and Methods. of

Avoiding Tangential Bucket Vibration.

Therein, of which'the following is a speci; fication. i

In largesteam turbines operating condensing the volume of steam which must be handled in the low pressure end of the turbine becomes enormous. For example, one

pound of steam at 250 pounds pressure, and

250 degrees superheat, has a volume of ap-o proximately 2.6 cubic feet. -When it has expanded to a vacuum 'correspondingto29 inches of mercury, it has a volume of approximately 600' cubic feet. and if further expanded to a pressure corresponding to 29% inches of mercury vacuum, its volume becomes of the order of 1200 cubic feet. This means that a large bucket or blade area is required in the low pressure end of a turbine to handle the volume of steam. In the first instance, of course,-Ithiswas obtained'by increasing the diameter'of the lowpressureend of the rotor and the length of the buckets or blades; -However, the possible diameter is definitely limited by the necessity of keeping the peripheral speed within safe limits, and as the capacity of turbines increased and-the vacuum obtained improved. the buckets: soon reached 'a length where difficulties were: experienced due. tangential vibration of the buckets, such vibration causingfatigue of the metaL and failure of the buckets It will under:

a ring or row of'buckets;

stood that by tangential vibrationll-fmean vibration of the buckets in the plane of .the

'The presence of tangentlalfl'vibration in long buckets was recognized at an early date in-turbine development" and the first solution olfered was thatof fastening or lacing the buckets together at a point or points intermediate between their ends in order to stifi'en or brace-the buckets. This, however, while it was beneficial in .some

cases did not solve the problem for in spite of such bracing or lacing there were bucket failures which couldbe attributed to no other cause than that of; tangential vibration. Another remedy suggested was that of making the buckets heavier and stifi'er' to give them such a high natural frequency that they would be freefrom vibration but this was not a practical solution of the not impossible. Furthermore, the addition of weight to buckets to increase their stiffness soon reaches its limits on account of the rapid increase in the centrifugal stresses,

which would soon become so great as to tear .the buckets in two. On the other hand, a

reduction in peripheral speed to reduce the resulting centrifugal stresses, while suggested, amounted of course, to a step in the wron direction since it meant poorer economy orth e same number ofstages or the provision bf additional stages with the attendant' higherfl cost. The result was a very definite check-in the length of buckets and a resort other means such as the sotermed double flow and cross compound types-of turbines for obtaining the necessary bucket area to handle efiiciently the volume of low pressure steam.- Such turbines, however,' while satisfactory in' many respects ofler-the serious objections of being! larger and more costly than single flow machines and not offering the possibility of such. high efliciency. It is well known, of course, that the turbine is essentially a high speed machine, and to increase the efliciency higher and higher bucket speeds have been resorted to. As an illustration of this while bucket speeds of the order of 325 feet per second was the average twenty years ago, and 650 feet per second ten years ago, more recently bucket speeds of 800 feet per second have been used and even higher speeds proposed. This has required the use of buckets of lighter and lighter weight for a given length in the low pressure end of the turbine, in order to keep the centrifugal stresses within peI'-.

missible limits, such lighter weight being obtained'in the case of longer buckets by taperingthem in thicknessor width or in both thickness and width from the roots to the tips. Tapering of the buckets has the effect of increasing to some extent the natural frequency of vibration of the I buckets. However, even-with buckets of V sult.

this construction the limit in length is soon reached on account of the fact that in practical bucket design the natural frequency of vibration cannot be made to increase the desired amount and it was recognized that if the natural frequency of vibration approached too closely the normal speed of operation of the turbine, tangential vibration of a serious character was likely to re- In a paper published in Engineering (London) issue of February 9, 1923, page the blade the authors refer to natural fre V beentirely free from tangential vibration.

quency of vibration.)

This rule means that for a turbine operatat 30 revolutions per second, no buckets should be used having a calculated natural frequency of vibration less than 105 per second, which in actual practice for buckets having a peripheral speed of the value now in vogue limits the maximum bucket length to such an extent that large single flow turbines cannot be built. 7

Again, for buckets of any given length it is desirable to make them as light as possible so as to keep the centrifugal stress low, but usually buckets ,have been made heavier than necessary, so far as the stresses are concerned, in order to stiffen them sufliciently to bring their natural frequency of vibration within the rule above set forth.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved turbine rotor wherein buckets having natural frequencies of tangenti al vibration less than 3.5 times the normal operating speed may be safely used and will at the normal operating speed, and to prouse buckets havinga natural frequency of vide methods whereby this result may be accomplished. 1

v I -By; my invention, I am-enabled to safely tangential vibration not only somewhat less than 3.5.times the normal operating speed but. even directly in the neighborhood of thenormal operating speed which enables ni'e to-use longerand lighter buckets than +long {were usedoriginally in the'last row has heretofore bcn' considered feasible,

'haVing due regard 'forsafety; In one case with which I 'am familiar, buckets 34 inches of 'a large turbine. After a time, however,

these buckets failed and were finally re-. placed withbuckets 28 inches long, it being then considered not safe to use the longer naoaeoa buckets on account of the low value of their 7 have a definite, natural frequency of tangential vibration, the numerical value of which increases with the speed in accordance with certaih definite laws referred to hereinafter, and that when this natural frequency at a given speed of rotation is two times or three times such speed of rotation, tangential vibration of a dangerous character is liable to occur. The probable reasons for this are pointed out more fully hereinafter. I have found that in ordinary practice, a bucket or a bucket row having a natural frequency of vibration at a given speed of rotation which is four or more times such speed of rotation is of such stiffness in comparison with. the speed and the amplitude of the vibration which is set up w is so small that there is little likelihood of trouble, and it is for this reason that turbine builders-in arbitrarily following the rule above set 'forth have usually avoided trouble. However, as is pointed out hereinafter, it is well to avoid running frequencies of tangential vibration four times the speed of rotation and by my invention I am en'- abled to do this? I have furthermore discovered that if the 7 .when standing, and, in addition to the foregoing, I have found that the natural frequency of tangential vibration of the buckets of a bucket row for any particular rotor speed and hence frequencies which are multiples of the speed can be definitely predetermined within certain limits as is pointed out more fully hereinafter. The speeds at which tangential vibration of the buckets of a bucket row occur, i. e., the speeds corresponding 'to frequencies of tangential vibration which are multiples of the running speed, may be termed critical speeds.

According to my invention, therefore, I utilize, in such parts of the turbine as it is found desirable, buckets having naturalremoved; Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are detail views thereof; Fig. 5 is a diagram of circuits used in connection with the testing machine shown in Figs. 1 to 4; Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 are reproductions of typical oscillograph records; .Fig s. 11 and 12 are diagrams; Fig. 13 is a side elevation, partly in section of a turbine rotor in connection with which is illustrated ways of carrying out my invention in correcting bucket rows for tangential vibration; Fig. 14 is a side elevation of a portion of a rotor of a type difierent from that shown in. Fig. 13 and in connection with which my invention may be carried out; Fig. 15 is a top plan detail view of a bucket row as shown in Fig. 14; andFig. 16 illustrates an'additional method for finding the natural frequency oftangential vibration of a bucket or bucket row when standing.

In carrying out my invention, I take the bucket-carrying element which may b'e in the form of a wheel or a drum such as is now in common use and mount thereon; in the usual or desired manner buckets which from calculations or experience it is known or expected will have a natural frequency of vibration less than 3.5 times the normal ,opera-ting speed of the turbine. I then-determine for eachrow of buckets in the manner j so hereinafter described or in any other suitable manner, the rotor speeds at which the natural frequencies of tangential vibration of the buckets are multiples of the rotor speeds. I then compare these rotor speeds,

which may be termed critical speeds with the normal operating speed at which the rotor is to be run.v If these critical speeds are removed from the normal operating speed by amounts such as in each instance to provide a'reasonable factor of safety, then such rotor may be used without danger of bucket failures due to tangential vibration. On the other hand if any of such critical speeds are close to the normal operating speed then such rotor may not be safely used until the row or rows of buckets having critical speeds close to the normal operating speed are modified in one or more of the ways hereinafter. pointed out to change their natural frequency of tangential pro-' at which the natural running frequencies of tangential vibration are multiples of the running speed, I may employ any meansadapted for the purpose but preferably I made use ofstandard oscillographs and an exploring coil. An arrangement which may be used is illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive. In Fig. 1, 20 indicates a casing which in this instance is the casing of a special wheel-testing machine. Only the lower portion of the casingisshown, the upper. portion being omitted in order to expose the interior. The upper portion is in the form of a dome which when bolted to the lower portion forms a steam tight casing. The casing is provided with hearing 21 in which is journaled a. shaft 22. Mounted on shaft 22 is a heavy practically vibrationless disk 23 and adjacent thereto a turbine bucket Wheel 24, the buckets 27 of which are to be tested for tangential vibration. The bucket wheel illustrated is a reproduction of a known standard type comprising a' hub 25, and a Web 26, on the periphery of which are fastened the buckets 27 by' a dovetail any desired speed, a steam turbine '1 being.

indicated. As stated above, casing 20 is steam-tight and when tests are being made a vacuum pump is connected to the casing and operated to maintain a suitable vacuum therein, a small amount of steam being at the same time'circulated through the easing to cool the turbine wheel. Otherwise,

the wheel, even. though rotating in a fairly good vacuum, may become excessively heated due to friction with the medium with which it is surrounded. .Suitable pipes, not shown, are provided for the vacuum pump and cooling steam connections.

Mounted adjacent to'the periphery of disk rovided with an extension 33 which proects into-proximity to the outer ends of buckets-27. Since this coil is located inside casing 20 it should be steam-proof and to this end it may be completely enclosed in a metal casing. In the present instance coil 31-is shown as being carried. within the end .23 is an exploring coil 31 having a core 32 of a tube 34.0f magnetic material. The

. end of tube 34 is closed by a cover plate 35 tion.

of brass or the like held in place by a flange 36'on core 32, the inner end of core 32 being provided with a threaded extension 36 which screws in a wall 37 to hold the parts assembled. The electrical connections to coil 31 are made by means of suitable steamprotected and electrically-insulated wire, metal cased wire as indicated at 38 being shown. Tube 34 is mounted in an opening in the periphery of disk 23 and is supported at its ends by U-shaped brackets'39 fastened to the disk as shown in Fig. 1. The ends of tube 34 are threaded to receive lock nuts 40 which serve to hold the tube and also to permit of its adjustment in an axial direc- The leads from coil 31 are carried down along the side of disk 23 and are brought out'through shaft 22 to slip rings 41 on the shaft. At 42 are brushes whichbear on the slip rings. Attached to buckets 27 by brazing or other suitable means is a strip of magnetic material 43 which presents an end 43 to the side of core extension 33 and forms an armature for the core. With this arrangement, it will be seen that any movements of the buckets 27 inthe plane of the wheel relatively to the core extension 33 will have the efiect of moving armature 43 toward and away from the core extension thereby affecting the magnetic circuit and hence the current flow in coil 31, and since coil 31 and core extension 33 are fixed relatively to the wheel and rotate with it, the

coil is in aposition to indicate tangential vibration of the buckets.

The electrical connections of coil 31,to the amplifier and oscillograph are shown in Fig. 5. In this figure, for purposes of clearness, the rigid disk 23 and the bucket wheel 24 are indicated in a conventional manner and as being abnormally displaced laterally so that the circuits may more .clearly app/ear. The leads 38 from coil 31 come out through the shaft 22 and are connected to slip "rings 41 and brushes 42. Brushes 42 are connected by lead wires 44 to the primary winding 44 of a transformer and in this circuitisa suitable source of direct current 44 which causes current to flow normally through coil 31. The secondary winding 45 of the transformer is connected to a suitable amplifying device for magnifying the'fluctu'ations of current produced in coil 31. ,Such amplifiers are well understood in the electrical art and require here no special description. An amplifier of this character is, for example, set forth in the patent to Loewenstein No. 1,231,764, July 3, 1917. In the amplifier circuit connected to secondary winding 45, theamplifying tube is indicated at 46. This is an evacuated tube provided with a hot cathode 47, a plate or anode 48, and a grid 49. A battery supplies current to cathode 47 and arheostat 51 serves to adjust the current through the cathode. A circuit connects the plate 48 with the cathode 47 scribed. A battery 55 of a few volts is placed in the grid circuit as shown, to give a negative bias to the grid.

The operation of amplifiers of this char acter is well understood. Fluctuations in voltage produced in -the secondary 45 are transmitted to the grid 49, and the changes in potential of the grid cause magnified changes to occur in the current flowing in the circuit ofplate 48. These magnified current changes produce corresponding current fluctuations in the secondary 54 leading to the oscillograph. a

The oscillograph, indicated diagrammatically in the upper portion of Fig. 5, is a standard instrument well understood in the electrical arts, for producing and for recording images representing the fluctuations from instant to instant of electric currents. These images may be produced by the tracing of a point of light upon a ground glass or in a mirror, or the images may be recorded permanently on a photographic film. Oscillographs of this character are set forth for example in the U. S. patent to Riibinson, No. 919,467, dated April 27, 1909 and also in a paper on The Oscillograph and its Uses, by L. T. Robinson, appearing in the Transactions of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers for April 28, 1905, Vol. XXIV, pages 185 to 214. The field magnets of the oscillograph are indicated at 56. They are connected by lead Wires 57 to a suitable source of direct current indicated by the supply lines 58. For each of the field magnets 56, two being shown in the present instance, there is a sort of bifilar suspension 63 directly or by reflection on a semitransparent receiving screen 65.

Mirror 63 is oscillated by an arm 66 fixed on the shaft of the mirror and held by a spring 67- in contact with a cam 68. Cam

68 is driven by a synchronous motor (not shown) connected with cam shaft 69. The synchronous motor receives current from a small alternator (not shown) driven direct- 1y by the shaft 22 so thatthe cam shaft is driven at the same speed as shaft 22, the result being that the wave motion recorded by the coil 31 appears to be. stationary instead 'of progressing across the field of vision.

The illumination of the screens is interrupted each revolution by shutting 01f the light source by means of a shutter 70. During this dark period the cam causes the mirror to assume its initial position, the light then being allowed to again illuminate the screen. Actually, only a spot of light is reflected on the screen, but owing to the rapid rotation of the cam shaft and the faculty known as the persistency of.

vision, the light spot appears as a complete more or less wavy line. This arrangement is well known in the art and set forth, for example, in Industrial Electrical Measuring Instruments pages 378 and 379, published in 1918, by Constable and Company, Ltd, London, England.

The bifilar'suspension 59 is connected by lead wires 71 to the secondary transformer- -winding 54. Wave motions traced by bifilar suspension59 will be those due to fluctuations in the current flowing in exploring coil 31 and will indicate the presence and the amplitude of the tangential vibration of the bucket row. It will befunderstood that the current in coil 31 develops a magnetic field,the magnitude of which varies in accordance with the variation in the length of the air gap between armature 48 and core extension 33, and that movements of armature 43 toward and away from core extension 33 produce a change in magnetic reluctance and hence in the current flowing in the coil. By observing the speeds of rotation of shaft 22 at which vibration occurs,

the critical speeds are readily determined."

The speed of rotation of shaft 22 may be determined by any suitable form of tachometer or rotation-registering device.

It is desirable to be able to determine accurately the frequency of the tangential vibration at any instant and for this purpose I provide what may be termed a timing wave which may be recorded alongside the wave indicating the tangential vibration. To this end I connect the bifilarsuspension 60 by lead wires 72 to a source of alternating current 73 ofsome definite constant frequency, such as 40 c'yclesper second, so that the indications produced through the operation of this member of the ostillograph serve as a time standard for the' wates produced by the bifilar suspension Also as a check on the tachometer for shaft 22 and to provide a permanent record I may provide means for indicating the speed of rotation on the oscillograph. For

this purpose, I mayprovide adjacent to the wheel somestationary means which, as coil steam against it.

31 passes it, will cause'a fluctuation of the current in the coil. For this purpose, an electromagnet 74 excited from any suitable source such as the battery 75 may be used. Each time coil' 31 passes magnet 74 there will be a fluctuation of the current in coil 31 which will be recorded on the oscillograph.

Fig. 6 is a reproduction of a photograph of a typical oscillograph record traced by the oscillographshown in Fig. 5. In this record indicates the timing wave and 81 the line traced by exploring coil 31.v In the line 81, the points 82 are those caused by coil 74 when coil 31 passes it, and the distance between them indicates the time of each revolution. By comparing the occurrence of these points with the timing wave 80, the speedof rotation can be accurately determined. The frequency of tangential vibration as well as its amplitudes is indicated by wave 81. The particular lines 81 shown in 'Fig. 6 indicates the absence of any" tangential vibration, the line being substantiallystraight except for the regular occurrence of points 82.

In actual practice, the oscillograph illustrated is used preferably for observation purposesonly. For photographic work I provide a second oscillograph (not shown) connected in parallel with the one shown and fitted for taking oscillograph films in a manner well understood in this art. With this arrangement the operator observes the wave phenomena in the one oscillograph and photographs are taken by the other oscillograph whenever phenomena are observed of record.

When the buckets of a rotor are being tested for tangential vibration, it is usually not neq-Iessary to provide any special means for setting the buckets into vibration, although on occasions some such means may be useful. For this purpose I find it satisfactory to fasten an abutment as indicated at 83 on one of the bucket cover sections and provide a nozzle 84 for directing a jet of The abutment may be made from a flat strip bent up to provide a fiat radially-extending surface, and may be fastened to the bucket cover segment by brazing or the like. Nozzle 84 may be supplied with steam from any suitable source by a pipe 85 inwhich is arranged a valve tion is set up by a slight force applied at 8 is a record of the same buckets as those regular intervals during each revolution of recorded in Fig. 7 and if the frequency of the wheel, and it is for this reason that the; vibration which occurs at this speed be comdangerous amplitudes of tangential vibra-" ,pared with the standing frequency it will tion occur at frequencies which are multiples be found to be somewhat higher. of the wheel speed. If now the speed of rotation be still fur- In testing a bucket row for tangential vither increased another speed will be reached bration, I prefer in the first instance to deat which tangential vibration will be inditermine its natural period of tangential vi-' cated and upon examining the oscillograph bration when the rotor is stationary. This record this will be found to occur at a runmay be done any time after the bucket row ning frequency of tangential vibration three has been assembled on the rotor, and in any times the speed of rotation. This is indisuitable manner, it being only necessary to cated in the oscillograph record shown in set the buckets into vibration by some arti- Fig. 9, from which it will be found that ficial' means and then determine the frethe frequency of vibration is 33.3 cycles quency. With the arrangement shown in per second, and the speed of rotation 11.1 Fig. 5, for example, I may simply force an revolutions per second. Comparing the osordinary screw driver. or other implement cillograph record of 'Fig. 9 with that of between an end of the bucket-cover of the Fig. 8 it will be seen that the amplitude of group of buckets to which strip 43 is fasthe vibration occurring at a frequency of tened and the next adjacent group so as to tangential vibration three times the speed flex the bucket group and then remove the of'rotation-is substantially greater than that screw driver and permit the bucket group to occurring at four times the speed of rota vibrate. Such vibrations will be recorded tion and also that the frequency of vibrain the oscillograph and by comparing the tion is greater. Upon still further increase wave produced with the timing wave, the in the speed, another point will be reached natural frequency of tangential vibration at which again tangential vibration occurs is readily determined. A reproduction of and examining the oscillograph record theresuch an oscillograph record is shown in Fig. of as reproduced in Fig. 10, it will be found 7 wherein 80 is the timing wave and 81 the to occur at a running" frequency of tangenwave due to tangential vibration. Compartial vibration twice the speed of rotation, the ing these waves, it will be seen that for the frequency of vibration indicated being 43.2 particular bucket row being tested, the buck- ,and the speed of rotation 21.6. It will be ets had a natural period of tangential vibraobserved also that the amplitude of vibra-,

tion, when standlng, of 28 cycles per section occurring at twice the speed of rotation 0nd. is greater than that occurring at three times If .now the rotor carrying the buckets is; or four times the running speed and that rotated there will be observed in the oscillothe frequency of vibration is greater. Havgraph, two records of the character of those shown in Fig. 6, i. e., a timing wave 80, and

the line 81, the; latter being a straight line having a point 82 at regular intervals. As the speed of rotation increases a speed will be reached at which line 81 ceases to be a straight line and assumes an undulating form, and then, as the speed continues to increase, assuming again the form of a straight line, thus indicating that at the particular speed there has occurred tangential vibration of the bucket. Or, in other words, that a critical speed for tangential vibration has been passed through. An oscillo-- graph record indicating such a critical speed is shown in Fig. 8, wherein it will be observed that the line 81 is inthe form of a waveof some amplitude, on which at regular intervals arethe rotation points 82.

Comparing the wave 81 in 'Fi 8 with the timing 'wave 80 it will be foun that, inthe particular instance the frequency of vibration was approximately 29.6 per secondand the speed of rotation was 7.4 per second, thus indicatlng the occurrence of tangential vibration of a frequency four times the s d of otation. The oscillograph re o d of l i g.

ing passed the critical speed of rotation at which tangential vibration corresponding to twice the speed of rotation occurs no further critical speeds will be reached, for, because of the increase'in the natural running freuency of vibration with the speed of rotatlon, the speed of rotation will never become equal to the frequency of vibration of the buckets.

The oscillograph records shown in Figs 6 to 10 inclusive were all taken-on the same" bucket row. The rotor.was the 17th stage wheel of a 30,000 1:. w. turbine having a normal operating speed of 30 revolutions per" showing that at critical speeds corresponding to natural running frequencies of tangential vibration five or moretimes the speed of rotation there is little likelihood of tangential vibrations of a noticeable char- I acter occurring and that even if they do their amplitude is so small that they are not dangerous.

Usually also some artificial means must be employed to force vibration in order readily to pick up tangential vibration of a frequency corresponding to four'times the speed-of rotation, and unless a considerable vibrating force is used the amplitude ofthe vibration is so small as not to be of a dangerous character. occurrin in the turbine W ich sets up tangential vibration is smallso that except uner unusual circumstances, trouble is not likely to be experienced from tangential vibration of this order. vention, I can readily avoid the buckets hav-- ing a natural frequency of tangential 'vibration four times the running speed and consider it desirable so to do.

It is evident from experiments which I have carried out.that the force which sets up tangential vibration in buckets is a small force applied once each revolution of the rotor. Its cause, however, is not definitely understood. If the natural frequency of tangential vibration is exactly twice the speed of rotation it will be clear that a force applied once each revolution will be timed correctly to give to the buckets an impulse every other vibration and such a-force even though exceedingly small if continuously applied in synchronismwith the vibration will cause vibration of considerable amplitude. If the natural running frequency of tangential vibration is exactly three times the speed of rotation, then the force tending to set up tangential vibration is applied only every third vibration from which it will be obvious that the amplitude of the vibration set up at this frequency will not-- be as large as those at a frequency corresponding to two times the speed of rotatir n. Again, if the natural running frequency of tangential vibration is four times the speed of rotation then the force tending to set up tangential vibration is applied only every fourth vibration meaning, of course, a still smaller amplitude of vibration and one which, except under unusual circumstances, is negligible.- For natural running frequencies of tangential vibrationcorresponding to fiye or more times the speed of rotation, the impulse applied is at such infrequentintervals that it need not be considered.

In testing the bucket rows of a rotor for tangential vibration, I find. it desirable to make a chart or diagram of the rotor of the character shown in Figs. 11 and 12. In

In eneral the force However, by my in these diagrams the ordinates represent frequency' of tangential vibration in cycles per bucketrow whenstanding and at its various critical speeds, I plot these'points on the diagram and then draw a line through them. This line then indicates the natural frequency of tangential vibration for each speed, the point at which itcrosses any of the lines 1 to 6 inclusive being a critical speed.

Referring to Fig. 1-1,.the curves W. X, Y and Z may be taken t represent for example the last four rows of buckets of a turbine, the curve Z representing the last row, Y the next to the last row, X the third from the lastrow, and \V the fourth from the last row. These curves have been drawn by obtaining a number'of points as indicated in the preceding paragraph, and then plot-ting the curves through them. Examining the curve Z for the last bucket row, it will be seen that the buckets when standing have a natural frequency of tangential vibration of 32 cycles per second, and that this increases with the speed until at a speed of rotation of 4H) revolutions per second. the buckets have a natural running frequency of tangential vibrationof 68 per second. Curve Z crosses line 2 which represents frequencies twice the running speed at a point representing 24.5 revolutions per second so that this is a critical speed for the bucket row and if the rotor is operated at critical speed for the bucket row, and it crosses the lines 4, 5 and 6 at speeds corresponding respectively to approximately 8.5, 7 and 5 revolutions per second. which are additional critical speeds. Examining the curve Y for the next t the last row of buckets it will be seen that the buckets have a natural frequency of tangential vibration when standing of (30 cycles per second which increases to 93 cycles per second at a speed of 40 revolutions per second. The curve Y does not cross line 2 \vhich'indicates that within the range of the speeds plotted there is no critical speed for these buckets corresponding to twice the speed of rotation. It

izo

per second, so that these are critical speeds corresponding to natural frequencies of tangential vibration three times and four times the speed of rotation respectively. Critical speeds corresponding to five times and six times the speed of rotation are found at 1 3 revolutions per second and 10.5 revolutions per second respectively.

a similar manner the frequency of tangential vibrationat any speed and the critical speeds forthe bucket rows represented by curves X and V are readily as certained from the diagram.

The vertical line S in Fig. 11 indicates the normal operating speed, such speed being revolutions per second in the present.-

instance and it will be seen that the last bucket row Z has a critical speed corresponding to twice the rotor speed at practically the normal operating speed of the turbine and that the next to the last row of buckets has a'crit-ical speed corresponding to three times the rotor speed at practically the normal operating speed of the turbine. On the other hand, the critical speeds of the third-and fourth from the last rows of buckets Xand WVv are well removed from the normal operating speed. It follows, therefore, that for the case shown in Fig. 11 the last and next to the last rows of buckets have critical speeds so close to the normal running speed that they would be subject to tangential vibrations of a dangerous character, and this was what actually=occurred, bucket rows running under the conditions illustrated by Z and Y having'failed in actual service due to tangential vibration.

Fig. 12 is to be taken to illustrate the same turbine represented in Fig. 11 except that the last two rows of buckets Z and Y have been modified in one or more of the ways explained hereinafter to change their natural frequencies of tangential vibration.

so they will no longer have. critical speeds in the immediate vicinity of the normal operating speed. Referring to thelast bucket row it will be seen from Fig, 12 that it has beenmodified so as to increase its natural frequency of vibration when standing from 32 cycles per second to 35 cycles per second and that this has served to increase its critical speed corresponding to twice the running speed to 29.7 revolutions per second thus moving it well away from the norinal operating speed of 25 revolutions per second. On the other hand, the next to the last bucket row has been modified so as to lower its natural frequency of vibration when standing from cycles per second to -19 cycles per second which has resulted in' reducing its critical speed corresponding to three times the speed of rotation from 25.5

revolutions per second to approximately 20 revolutions per second thusin this case also moving it well away from the normal operating speed of 25 revolutions per second.

The natural frequency of vibration of a member fixed at one end as in the case of turbine buckets is directly proportional to the square root of the stiffness and inversely proportional to the square root of the mass. The fundamental formula for this is f= where fzthe frequency in cycles per second F=the stiffness of the member in pounds per foot deflection Mzthe mass of the body.

It follows, therefore, that the natural frequency of vibration of a bucket row\can be changed by any means which varies either the stiffness or the mass.

.To increase the natural frequency of vibration I may. either increase the stiffness of the bucket row or decrease its mass. In the case of a bucket row of the type wherein the ends of the buckets are fastened together by a sectional bucket cover the stiffness of the bucket row may be increased by making more rigid the connection between the bucket cover and the bucket ends. This is illustrated in Fig. 13 wherein 90 indicates:

the web of a wheel of an impulse turbine, 91 the bucket row, 92 the bucket'cover and 93 the tenons which are used to fasten the cover to the bucket ends. Ordinarily, the bucket cover in this type of wheel is fastened by riveting over the ends of the tenons onto the bucket-cover as shown. This gives a good connection but not an absolutely rigid one. I have found that the rigidity of this connection can be increased by soldering or brazing the bucket cover to the bucket ends and that this. increases the stiffness of the bucket row and hence increases its natural frequency of vibration. The soldering or brazing of the bucket cover to the buckets is indicated at 94 in Fig. 13. Again the stiffness of the buckets may be increased of the buckets, care being taken to remove metal at a point where its removal will affect the stiffness by the least amount; i. e., at the outer ends of the buckets. In

Fig. 13, the space within the dotted lines 96 indicates the removal of metal from the backs of the buckets adjacent their outer ends for the purpose of increasing the natural frequency of vibration of the buckets.

by providing circumferentially extending It is ordinarily not practicable to increase the natural frequency of vibration of buck ets by adding mass to them and if it is found that for a particular bucket row thelfrequency ofvibration must be increased and it is not possible to accomplish this by means, as above'set forth, then it may be necessary to'redesign the buckets in a manner to give them a higher frequency of vibration. A 9 1 To decrease the natural frequency of vibration of buckets, the most convenient method is to decrease the stifiness by removing metal from the backs of the buckets particularly in the re 'on of their inner ends. This is illustrate in Fig. 13wherein the spacewithin the dotted lines 97 indicates the removal of metal for the purpose of decreasing the natural frequency of via bration. V j v My invention, of course, is equally as ap- 1 plicable to buckets of the reaction type as it is to buckets ofthe impulse type and may be applied to them in exactly the same way. In'Fig. 14 I have illustrated a rotor of the drum, type provided with reaction buckets,

98 being the drum or other type of bucketcarrying member-and 99 the buckets. In this type of turbine, 'a' bucket cover is ordinarily: not provided and the buckets of each row are connected 'into groups binding wires or braces 100 fastened to the buckets in any suitable manner. On longer buckets, two or more spaced rows of binding wires or braces may be used. When dealing with this type of buckets the natural frequency of vibrationran be best increased or decreased by 'changing the binding wires to increase or decrease-the stiffness of the I bucket row either by changing their location, their weight or their number, although any of the other methods enumerated may be employed.

'' Buckets of the reaction type are ordinarily; somewhat flatter and 'thinnerthanbuckets of the impulse type and are usually set at an; angle to the plane of the rotor as indicated particularly in Fig. -15. 'In vibrating tangentially buckets "vibrate about their major axis so that in" the case of buckets set at an angleas shown in Fig. 15

the direction of vibration will not be exactly parallel to the plane of the rotor but will be at an angle thereto as indicated-by I the dotted lines 101 and the arrow 102. The

binding wires 100 are usually made in sections each section tying together a group of buckets in the same manner asdo bucket covers in structures of the type shown'in I Fig. .13. In the case of buckets of the e shown in Figs. '14:- and 15, therefore iihe vibration of the buckets is in the nature of group vibration, all the groupsof buckets of a row, however, vibrating in unison.

Forany given bucket row,.I have found I that the relation. between the running frequency of tangential vibration standing frequency f, at any speed of to f, and the tation N, may ing equation 2-- expressed by the ionsfi m -where B is a coefiicient depending upon the physical characteristics of the uckets or bucket row and differs for different-buckets or bucket rows.- The value of B varies from as low as 2 for lon' buckets to as high as 4:5 or even higher or shorter buckets and must be determined experimentally for each determined the averbucket row. Having age value of B for aparticular character of bucket row, however, I can within small limits of error determine the running frequencies of tangential vibration of all bucket rows of this samecharacter by calculation from the natural frequency of tangential vibrationof the bucket row whenby substituting the known values for the N, which is the standing frequency f, the niultiplicator and the coeflicient B.

This equation 1s obtained from the preceding equation f, and solving fpr lfiy substituting N,X for In Figs. 11 and l2 the values of B for the rows of buckets represented by the curves are indicated on the diagrams.

Bucket rows assembled from buckets of exactlythe same design and in exactly the same manner'will dilier considerably in their natural frequency of vibration owing to unavoidable difierences which occur during the manufacture and assembly of the buckets on the rotor, particularly the latter,

since variations in the tightness with which the buckets are fastened to the rotor and to -each other will have considerable effect on' the natural frequency of vibration of the completed bucket row. For this reason ciret are of little value in determining what the actual natural frequency of .vi-

bration will be of abucket-row assembled from such individual buckets. Atbest, such tests are of value only in showing thatthe particular buckets w en assembled on a rotor will or will not have a natural ireculations or tests to determined the natural fireqpency of vibration ofan individual '40 the running speed over a considerable range vibration.

must be "tuned in accordance with my inven-- tion in order to eliminate the possibility of trouble due to tangential vibration, such tuning comprising the testing of the biicket row and, if found necessary, its' modification after the manner alregdy described.

- In determining the safe limits which should exist between. normal operating speeds of the rotor and'the critical speeds at whichtangential vibrations are likely to occur, a number of considerations are involved. Considering first the ,crltical speed corresponding to two times the run ning speed and which is the most dangerous because'of the fact that at this speed a very 'small force applied in synchronism with the rotation may set u vibrations of a dangerous character, it w1ll be noted in examining the diagrams of Fi s. '11 and 12 that vthe curve Z in rcrossing t e line 2 makes a comparatively small angle with it so that for somelittle distanfce'on each side of the point where the curve crosses this line, the curve and the line are quiteclose together. This m s eed by an equal amount.

sponding to two times the running speedmeans that over quite-some range of speed the frequency of tangential vibration is approximately two times the running speed and due to the quality of vibrating bodies I known as broadness of resonance the period of vibration of the buckets may be changed so-as to correspond to a frequency two times of speed. As a'safe margin for this I consider', that the critical speed .corresponding. to a frequency of tangential vibration two times the running speed should be renioved from the normalrunning-speed by. ap roximately 12% of the running speed;

other consideration of which account linust bentaken'i's the fact that "a turbo-alter- '-,nator when running I under practical eondi u tion's mayflfor the purpose of adjustipg the "electrical load ,takenby the machine" when operated in conjunctionwith other machines"? and possibly: for other reasons, be operated;- not at exactly its rated speed, but may be" raised .in speed by as much as'3% or lowered speeds for such bucket row may be calculated from the formula ashas'been already dding together the f ctors aboiie' men tioned gives 15% which is the amount I now .con si'der it advisable that 'the critical speed corresponding totwo times the runmng' speed should differ from the normaloperating s eed; That is, I nowconsider it visable t at' the critical speed corremeans that in the case of should not be closer to 'thenormal operating speed than. 15% of the normal operating speed. j

In the case of critical speeds corresponding to natural frequencies of tangen- -tial vibration three times the running speed,

it will be noted from/Figs. 11 and l2, that 'here the curves indicating the natural frequencies of vibrations at the variousspeeds cross the line 3 at a much greater angle than in the case of the line 2 corresponding to a natural frequency of tangential vibration twice the running speed, which indicates that the range on either side of the critical speed at which the natural. frequency of vibration is approximately three times the running speed is quite small, so that the broadness of resonance is much less than n.

: operating. speed than 10% of the 'normal operating speed. I e In the case of critical speeds. corresponding to natural frequencies of tangential vibrations four times the running speed, it will be noted that the curves indicating the natural frequencies of tangential vibration at the various speeds cross the line 4 at still greater angles thanin the previous cases which means that there is little broadness of resonance so that in the case of tangential vibration corresponding to four times the running speed, the frequency must be almost an exact multiple of therunning speedbefore tangential vibration occurs. I now consider that 2% is a safe margin for broadness of resonance in this case' and add 1 ing to this the 3% for variations, in the normal "operating speed gives 5% which criticalspeeds corresponding to natural frequencies of tangential vibration four times the running' speed, such critical speeds should not be closer to the normal operating speed than 5% ofthe' normal operating speed.

After the average value of the coefiicient B in the formula hereinbefore referred to has been determined experimentally "for a certain slze and shape of bucket mounted on arotor inacertain way, the critical explained. Howeveigfin using-this method there is some error 'due to the fact that the value of B used is an average value. The

error which may be present due to this I now estimate to be about 5% plus or minus. If therefore, the critical speeds; for a given row of buckets is calculated rather than do termined by tests, I now find it advisable to add to the percentages already given,

m g such percentages read 1 5% and 10% for critical speeds corresponding to frequencies of. tangential vibration twotimes, three times and four times the running speed, respectively. In act'ualpraetice, therefore, I may first determine the several critical speeds b' calculation and if they are no closer to t e normal operating speed than amounts corresponding to the larger percentages of the normal operating speed, I consider that the bucket row may safely be used. If, however, by calcula tions the critical speeds do not fall outside these larger percentages, then I consider it desirable to g1ve the particular bucket row .an actualrunning test-to determine experithis instance.

mentally its critical speeds? and if needs be, correct for them.

The dia ams in Figs-11 and 12 represent a tur inehaving a normal operating speed of 25 revolutions per second,- this being-a common speed for turbines of large capacity, and hence I have indicated in the diagram a speed range up to 40 revolutions per serzond, this being an ample ran e in course, that in making tests the buckets will be tested only up. tos 'eeds a reasonable amount above the inten ed normal operating speed. A consideration of the curves shown in Figs. 11 and 12 and of the equa-' tion for finding the running frequency of tangential vibration at any speed indicates tnat in no instance will a running frequency of tangential vibration be met with which is just equal to the runnin speed. Hence the lowest critical speed multiple met with in any'instance is one corresponding to a natural frequency of tangential vibration two times the running s eed. Also it will be apparent that in pract1ce this critical speed will occur dangerously near the intended normal operating speed only in the case of buckets having anatural standing frequency of tangential vibration-less than two times the intended normal operating speed. For buckets having anatural standing frequency of tangential vibration greater than two times the intended normal operating fspeefi it will be apparentthat a "critica1 speed corresponding to tangential vibrations two times such normal operat ingspeed would occur only at a speedier in excess of the normal operating speed'and need not be looked for. Hence, knowing be looked for.

the normal operating speed and the standing natural frequency of vibration, it is ap-' parent at once what critical'speeds. need There are a number of well known ways for determining the natural frequency of vibration of'a stationary body and any of them found suitable may be used for deter-- It will be understoo ,of

normal operating speed.

mining the natural standing fr uency of tangential vibration of a row.o bucketsmounted on a rotor. Onesimple method is to mount an alternating current electromagnet adjacent to the-bucketin a manner to exert a pull on them in a tangential direc-' tion and then supply to the magnet an alternating current, varying the frequency of the current until it reaches a value at .which the bucketsvibrate. The natural frequency of vibration of the bucket will be twice the frequency of the alternating current producmg it since the'alternating current .will exert two' attractions per cycle. An arrangement of this character is shown in Fig. 16 wherein 105 indicates an armature very light in weight fastened to a'bucket group 106 by being brazed thereto or. by other suitable means. Adjacent armature 105' is an 'electro-magnet 107 conmctedby lead wires'108 to an alternating'current generator 109 the speed of which may be. varied atwill. For example, a motor generator set a may be used. By varying the speed of the motor-generator set an alternatnig current of any desired frequency mayybe-s'upplied to electro-ma et 107. I

What I clalm as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In. an elastic fluid turbine, a rotor hav-v ing a row of buckets thereon which buckets have a natural frequency of tangential vi br'ati'on less than 3.5 tim s the normal op-' crating speed of the tur 'ne, characterized in advance so that the rotor speeds of which thenaturalrunning frequencies of tangentia'l vibration of the row of buckets are mulv tiples are not closer to said normal'operating speed than approximately 5% of such 2'. Inan elastic fluid turbine, a rotor have ing a row of buckets thereon whichbuc'kets have a natural frequency of tangential vibration less than 3.5 times the normalop crating speed of the turbine, characterized by the-fact that said row of buckets is tuned in advance solthat the rotor speed of which the natural running freqluency of tangential vibration of the row of uckets is double is not closer to the normal operating speed than approximately 15% of such "normaloperatmg speed, and the rotor speed of which the natural runningfreq y of tangential" 0 by the fact that said row fbu'ckets is tuned 9 the natural running frequency of tangential vibration of the row of buckets is double is not closer to the normal operating-speed than approximately %fof such normal operating speed, the rotor speed of which the natural running frequency of tangential vibration of ,the row of buckets is three times is not closer to the normal operating speed than approximately 10% of such normaloperating speed, and the rotor speed of which the natural running-frequency of tangential vibration of the; row of buckets is four times is not closer to the normal operating speed than approximately 5% 0f such normal operating speed.

4. In an elastic fluid turbine, a rotor have ing a row. of buckets 'thereonwhich buckets have a natural frequency of tangential vibration less than 3.5 timesthe normal oper- 4 .20.

ating speed of the turbine, said row of buckets being so constructed and proportioned in advance that the speeds of rotation of which the natural running frequenciesof tangential vibration of the row of buckets are twice or three timesare not closer to the normal operating speed of the turbine than approximately 15%, and'10%, respectively,'of such normal operating speed.

'5. In an elastic fluid turbine, a rotor having'a row of buckets thereon which buckets have a naturaltrequency of tangential .vibration less than 3.5 times the normal operating speed of the turbine, said row of buckets being so constructed and propor-' tioned in advance that the speeds of rota-- tion ofwhich the natural runnin frequencies oftangentialvibration of t e row of buckets are twice, three times or four times are not closer to the normal operating speed of the turbine than approximately 15%, 10% and 5% respectively, of such normal operating speed. 3

6. In an elastic fluid turbine, a rotor havm a ea h 0 which rows comprises bucketshaw ing natural frequencies of tangential vibration less than 3.5 times the normal operat- .ing speed of the turbine, characterized'by the fact that each of said rows of buckets .is

so. constructed and proportioned in advance.

plurality of rows, of bucketsthereon that in no instance is the speed of rotation of which the natural running frequency of tangential vibration of a row of buckets is twice or three times, closer to the normal operating speed of the turbine, than approximately 15% and 10% respectively, of such normal operating speed.

7. The method of constructing a turbine rotor having one or more rows of buckets thereon which buckets have natural frequencies of tangential vibration less than 3.5 times the normal operating speed of the turbine which consists in determining in advance the speeds of rotation of which the natural running frequencies of tangential vibration of such row 01 rows of buckets are.

quenciesof tangential vibration less than 3.5

times the normal operating speed of the turbine, which consists in determining in ad-' ance the speeds of rotation of which the natural running frequencies of -tangential vibration of such row or rows of buckets are twice, three times or four times, and then, if necessary, modifying the construction of any of said rows so that in no instance will any'bucket row have a critical speed corresponding to a natural running frequency of tangential vibration two times the running speed within 15% of the normal operating speed, a critical speed corresponding to a natural running frequencyof tangential vibration three times the running speed within 10% of the normal operating speed,-' or a critical speed corresponding toa natural runningfrequency of tangential vibration four times the running speed with in 5%,of the normal operating speed.

In witness whereof,-I have hereunto set my hand this 21st do. of June, 1923.

- WILF ED CAMPBELL. 

